Eternal Sunshine
by CaptainKrueger
Summary: "State your name and who you want to erase from your memory." "My name is Valon and I want to erase Mai Valentine." Inspired by the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Conquestshipping. Rated M mostly for language and one limey scene.
1. Prologue

**_State your name and who you want to erase from your memory. _**

_My name is Valon and I w__ant to erase Mai Valentine._

**_How long ago did you meet Ms. Valentine?_**

_Eleven, twelve months ago. I really dunno._

**_How did you meet?_**

_... During a dark time in life._

**_Tell me more about the event._**

_..._

**_Valon, we can't help you if you won't work with us._**

_It never said I'd have to give you everything. _

**_Of course not, Valon. You don't need to tell me all the details. Just give me something. Think of this interview as a frame, an outline. Give us the, er, blueprints, and we'll go from there._**

_It was raining. She looked lost. I offered her help._

**_Describe your relationship with Ms. Valentine. _**

_Strained._

**_I'll need you to elaborate, Valon. Try giving a general outline about your relationship with her. What brought you to the point of wanting her wiped from your memory?_**

_I met her when she was feeling alone and down. I brought her to my boss. He offered her a job. I was attracted to her from the start, but she found me annoying. But like the little shit I was, that didn't discourage me. I fought for her approval. Threw myself in the face of danger and punched it. I just tried to be there for her. I didn't have the smallest chance, back then. She was all about this other guy, a friend of hers. We got separated for a while but she came back, eventually. Everything was...fine, for a while. Great, even..._

**_How so? _**

_She came back and we started something. Everything was sunshine and roses for a while. But...he was always there._

**_Who do you mean?_**

_That friend of hers. He came in with her the minute she walked through the door. I-I always...felt his presence. I didn't exactly realize it at first. It was just this small nagging feeling in the back of my head. But he was there and it only grew stronger the worse it became._

**_And that led to a break up?_**

_Basically. _

**_Describe how remembering her makes you feel._**

_Alone. Betrayed. Inadequate. Used. Mostly alone._

**_Would you say you feel heartsick?_**

_Why else would I be here?_

**_Quite right. What else are your feelings on the matter?_**

_I just want to know: why even bother?_


	2. Chapter 1

_You took my heart and you held it in your mouth_  
_And with a word all my love came rushing out_  
_And every whisper, it's the worst,_  
_Emptied out by a single word_  
_There is a hollow in me now_

* * *

Valon had taken to running each morning before breakfast. It was a habit he'd picked up during his detour in Europe after finding plenty of time on his hands. Running, he'd found, gave him time alone with his thoughts; in the time between he'd started from his front door to the time he'd returned for a cool shower, Valon found himself thinking about the last year.

Valon knew that his time away had done him well, but truth be told, he could only vaguely remember why he'd run off to Europe for a few months. Something about getting away and decompressing after leaving his job, but...he had the smallest feeling that there was another reason. Like he knew there was another reason why he'd left his peaceful beach house, and it was somehow connected with his job, but try as he might, Valon could not remember.

He didn't let it get to him, though; far as he was concerned, it didn't matter why he'd left. He'd had his fun and returned, coming back to a city that was not truly his, to a life that was not truly his, but it would all have to do. Maybe it was okay that he didn't have his life figured out at that moment—and who exactly was there to expect that of him, anyway? It wasn't like he'd kept in contact with Allister and Raphael—especially not...

Valon's thoughts came to a pause even though he kept running. Keeping careful not to bump into the other people on the sidewalk, Valon tried to remember who exactly was evading him. He knew he should know the person's name, whoever they were; he could feel the name forming on his lips, but he simply couldn't remember.

Valon exhaled and pressed on, running faster, trying to leave his growing confusion behind when a beautiful blonde stranger entered his field of vision.

An absolutely gorgeous woman stood a few yards ahead of him, tensed, staring at him in surprise, like a startled cat. Odd, Valon thought, but unless something was off with his face, he doubted she was looking at him, so he merely smiled at her as he came closer to passing her. He'd love to say hi, but he was dripping with sweat and would doubtlessly hold a terrible conversation since he was breathing heavily, so he kept on jogging.

However, he came to a stop when the beautiful stranger stuttered his name in disbelief.

That got Valon to stop.

Grinding to a halt, Valon, trying to catch his breath, looked over his shoulder at the woman who was staring at him with widened, alarmed eyes. He turned around and sized the woman up, trying to see if maybe he did know her. He...he didn't think so. "'Scuse me?"

"Valon, I..." the stranger mumbled, gazing at him somewhat nervously. "H-how are you? You look well."

Now Valon was really confused. "Do I..." he said slowly, uncertainly. "Do I...know you?"

* * *

**AN: Promise to make the next one longer.**


	3. Chapter 2

The stranger blinked. Her slightly grimacing mouth pulled down further into a frown. "Hah-hah," she deadpanned. "Very funny, Valon."

Valon, bewildered, took a cautious step back. Who was this strange woman, and what did she want with him? "Hey," he mumbled. "How d'you know my name?"

The woman blinked again and pursed her colored lips in indignation. "This isn't funny, Valon," she snapped, stiffly crossing her arms.

"No," Valon agreed, frowning. "It's not. Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"Dammit, Valon!" Mai exclaimed. "Grow up and stop acting like you don't know me!"

"I-I'm... I'm not acting," Valon stammered, holding his hands up defensively. "Trust me, miss. I would certainly remember a person like you."

The color drained from the woman's face as realization overtook her. "Oh, my god," she moaned, bringing a soft-looking hand up to her mouth. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Valon, eyeing her warily, nodded tentatively. "Honest, I don't," he murmured. "H-how d'you know who I am?"

"You really don't remember me, Valon?" the stranger pressed on, ignoring his question, sounding surprisingly hurt.

The surprises just kept coming, didn't they? Valon felt sorry for her now. Maybe it was just because he was such a softy now, but he hated to see her so distraught. "No," he whispered, realizing that he really didn't want to disappoint her and that he really wanted to see her smile. He searched his brain, trying to remember if they had maybe met once. He knew they could not have known each other as children because he didn't really make friends as a kid, so if he knew her, he would have met her in his time working for Dartz. True, there had been women from time to time when he got lonely and Raph and Al didn't want to go out with him in their free time, but they never stuck around in one place long enough for him to form any meaningful relationships. Valon also knew that she was not from his excursion in Europe; he had all the important ones' information stored in his phone for whenever he wanted to drop a message, and she was not in his list of contacts, nor did he have any memories of her.

He wanted to believe her, but who could she possibly be?

"So you remember nothing about our time together," she mumbled, speaking more to herself than to him.

Valon shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "I gotta go now," he told her, slowly turning around and jogging off, hoping not to run into more strangers claiming to know him.

* * *

_He found the advertisement by chance._

Lacuna,_ it said. _For those who need help with forgetting.

_ It was a small 2x3 ad in a magazine. It was coincidence, pure coincidence that he'd given it a passing glance, but it was curiosity that made him give in and call._

* * *

_"Have you ever found yourself wishing you could erase your memory?"_

_Valon heard angry fifteen year olds screaming, banging on metal doors; he felt arms restrain him, pulling him back while he screamed and struggled. He smelled smoke, felt searing heat on his face, heard wailing five year olds. He heard grown men pleading as the Seal closed in on them. He heard clothes and other possessions being hastily thrown in a bag, heard heels skittering out the room and the door slamming shut. He heard the aggressive silence that overtook him._

_"Valon?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"Did you hear me?"_

_"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I have. Who hasn't?"_

_"Yes, well, that's where we come in. If there's someone in your life you would rather forget, that's when you come to us."_

_Valon looked at the so-called doctor sitting across from him. A tiny, skinny man with off white hair to match the off white room in which they sat. The man squinted at Valon behind eye classes with tiny lenses that looked too small to be of any practical use. The room was undecorated, but he supposed that really didn't matter, did it? But for the table where Dr. Curtis had laid out a digital recorder, a notepad, and several legal forms for another client, the room was bare of any furnishings. "Yeah? That so?"_

_Dr. Curtis sighed and removed his glasses, folding them up and slipping them into his pocket. He steepled his thin fingers before his thin mustache and stared at Valon. "Valon," he said calmly. "Why are you here?"_

_"To forget," Valon replied simply._

_"If that truly is the case, then could you stop trying to act like I'm selling snake oil?"_

_"Sorry," Valon apologized. "It's just hard to wrap my head around. It's like something out of sci-fi, y'know?"_

_"I understand that you're feeling somewhat incredulous," Dr. Curtis replied soothingly, folding his hands on the table. "Anyone who has not seen the effect Lacuna has on people would have their reservations. So tell me, Valon: do you wish to continue?"_

_"'Course," Valon responded without missing a beat._

_Dr. Curtis nodded. "Very well, then. Now before we can discuss scheduling a proper interview, I'll answer any questions you have now."_

_Valon paused for a moment. "Just walk me through it."_

* * *

_Valon spent that night staring at the ceiling in his bed, which was small by most standards, but felt unbearably empty to him. This, Valon realized as he spread his legs wide open to touch both sides of the bed with the heels of his feet, was why he'd called Lacuna, why he'd gone in the first place to talk to Dr. Curtis._

_"Why are you doing this?" Raphael's voice, even if Valon hadn't seen the big guy in months. _

_"Because I don't need that weighing on me," Valon replied in his head._

_"Is Mai Valentine really the worst thing that's ever happened to you?"_

_"Of course not."_

_"Then why her, Valon? Out of all of the things you've seen in your short life, why do you choose to forget her?"_

_Valon sighed and rolled onto his side, back facing his imaginary companion. "'Cause if I erased all of the bad from my life, I'd forget who I am, where I came from. My past shaped me, Raph. But this? This is something I can do without."_

_Raphael left him alone after that, leaving Valon to struggle with his thoughts until he finally fell asleep, trying not to pay attention to the fact that he was alone in his bed._


	4. Chapter 3

Watching Valon jog away from her, Mai stood there as if her shoes were cemented to the ground. Trying to process what had just occurred, she stood there, staring dumbly at Valon's back until he rounded a corner and disappeared from her field of vision.

_Valon. Doesn't. Remember me._

Mai shook her head in disbelief. She chuckled nervously and continued walking. No, she decided, shaking her head; of course Valon still remembered her. You did not forget everything about a person you knew—_very_ well, she might add, for a _long_ time—over the span of a few weeks, unless you hit your head and forgot everything, or if someone used magic or advanced technology to wipe your memory. Although she had seen her fair share of strange happenings, had experienced them herself, she seriously doubted that was the case for Valon, now that he was free of Dartz. Valon was just lying, wasn't he? He was just an astoundingly convincing actor and was only pretending so he didn't have to face facts.

Although...

Why would he feel compelled to lie? Valon, for the most part, was a straightforward kind of guy. No playing, no bullshit. She felt that he'd become a little more cautious around her since they'd happened upon each other for the first time in a while months ago, but not to this extent. True, it had been a bad breakup, and she knew he was hurt, but why lie? Why pretend?

She distractedly walked back home and found Joey and the gang either playing video games or watching the tomfoolery in her living room. Truth be told, having lived alone for years, it was still strange seeing so many people in her apartment at one time. Sharing a living space with just one person was bizarre enough for her, even if her months with Valon had helped her grow somewhat accustomed to it, but having so many loud teenagers in her apartment this early on a Saturday was a little off-putting. But it made Joey happy, and she did love them all, so she would sacrifice some peace and quiet for Joey's sake. She...she was happy to do it. She was happy so long as Joey was happy.

So happy.

So, so happy.

So, so _very_ happy.

She was happy.

Really.

* * *

Valon was tempted to strip off all of his clothes as soon as he walked through his front door, but he knew he should hold off til he got to the bathroom, so he settled for kicking off his shoes and peeling off his shirt. Draping his soaked shirt on his shoulder, Valon trudged to the refrigerator to pull out a water bottle.

He thought about the blonde stranger as he upended the cold plastic bottle. He closed his eyes as he allowed the chilled water to collect in his parched mouth before taking a grateful swallow, all the while thinking about the strange encounter. The woman had seemed so sure that they knew each other, but Valon didn't even know her name. He realized that he kind of wanted to know her name, that he wanted to get to know her, but given what had just happened, that would be too strange.

The more he thought of her, of her soft-looking hair, of her captivating violet eyes, her curves, her way of carrying herself, he felt a strange tugging within himself. It was similar to the feeling he got whenever he felt like there was more behind his story to running off to Europe. It was like the name that wanted to be spoken.

Valon exhaled and set the water bottle down on the island. He was just being weird, he realized. If he knew that woman, he would have remembered. True, it was strange that she seemed to know him, but that must be a coincidence. A very strange, specific coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless.

Valon shrugged, capped the water bottle, placed it back in the fridge, and then walked off to take his shower.

* * *

_"So how does this work, Doc?" Valon asked Dr. Curtis._

_"We're going to give you something to help you stay asleep during the night," Dr. Curtis explained, holding up a small plastic bottle. He shook it so Valon could hear the medicine rattling inside. "You said you don't have any allergies, right?"_

_"Right," Valon replied as Dr. Curtis handed him the small plastic bottle over __so he could read the label over. "So I take these. And then what?"_

_"Two of my employees will enter your house about thirty minutes after the lights go out to make sure you are asleep," Dr. Curtis replied. "You'd do well to leave your door unlocked so we don't have to worry about spare keys. That is, unless you have one outside for us to use and then put back?"_

_Valon shook his head. "I don't."_

_"Very well," Dr. Curtis responded. "If you don't feel like giving us a spare key, my employees will enter your house via the unlocked door, work through the procedure, and then you will wake up the next morning without memories of Lacuna and, ah, Ms. Valentine."_

* * *

___Valon quietly entered his home with a few grocery bags and the small paper bag Dr. Curtis had given him. He entered the kitchen, tossed the paper bag onto the kitchen table, and set the grocery bags on the island. Slowly unbagging his purchases, Valon set to putting up the things he'd bought under the watch of the paper bag. ____Once he was done, Valon opened up the paper bag and pulled out the plastic bottle, holding it up to the light and studying it. He turned it over slowly, causing the pills to shift loudly._

_______Valon let out a sigh as his eyes glazed over. _Well, it was happening. Come next morning, he'd have no memory of Mai Valentine.

* * *

_Having made sure that the door was unlocked for the Lacuna guys to enter without problem, Valon entered the kitchen. He stopped at the island and leaned forward on the counter, staring at the bottle of sleeping pills. Nothing to do but to take them now, he mused. He contemplated whether he should really go through with this or just call it off. This was a big decision he was making, but his gaze wandered to the kitchen table, landing on the chair where he'd seen Mai drinking her coffee many a time. He could see her now, sitting in the chair the way she'd always sat, one leg crossed over the other, as she sipped her drink while the early sunlight filtered in through the partially open wooden slat blinds she'd convinced him to buy once._

_Valon swallowed and set his jaw in determination, looking back at the plastic pill bottle with newfound resolution. Yeah, he decided. He was going to do this._

_He snatched the bottle up and unscrewed the top, shaking out the recommended dosage of two pills onto the palm of his hand. He tossed the sleeping meds into his mouth and swallowed without bothering to grab a glass of water. Valon took one last look at the kitchen table before turning on his heel, walking out of the kitchen, and switching the lights off._

_He turned the living room lights off and crept up the stairs, wanting to disturb the silence in his house as little as possible. The Lacuna guys were out there, he knew, counting down the minutes until they could enter and get to work, watching for all of the lights to go out in his house. _

_It was just that easy, wasn't it? Go to sleep and let some other people take over for you and you'd wake up like nothing had happened._

_It was just one of his problems solved, Valon realized as he entered his bedroom, flicking the light switch off, and that would make things easier for him._


	5. Chapter 4

_It was Kevin's first erasing, and it was Parker's job to show him the ropes. Since it was Kevin's first time, Parker was going to be the one in command and would explain step by step what he was doing, all while Kevin watched. Parker would occasionally test Kevin's knowledge throughout the long night, ask for his assistance if need be, and even though he wasn't really allowed to do so, ask Kevin to make pots of coffee when they were finding it difficult to keep their eyes open._

_As they unloaded their equipment from the van, Parker found himself wishing for the umpteenth time that the equipment wasn't so damn heavy, especially since they'd have to lug all this crap upstairs._

_"How long have you been doing this?" Kevin whispered to Parker as the older one of the two tested the doorknob with his free hand to make sure the client had left it unlocked. He really hated it when clients forgot and locked the door anyway out of habit._

_"'Bout two years," Parker answered casually as he opened the door. "And you don't have to whisper. Chances are he's asleep."_

_"I-I know," Kevin replied as he crossed the threshold. "It's just...so strange. Kinda exciting."_

_Parker snorted. "It gets to be pretty routine after the first few times," he responded dully as Kevin locked the front door, just in case. "No big deal. Okay, so Boss said our guy's gonna be in the upstairs bedroom."_

_Parker and Kevin walked in silence in the few moments that it took to approach the staircase. _

_"This's a big house for a single guy," Kevin commented, having a look around._

_Parker shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. But a house by the beach?" he asked as they ascended the stairs. "Why the hell not?"_

_"Yeah, I guess," Kevin agreed. "I'd like to live here."_

_Parker grunted in response as they drew closer to the bedroom. He rolled his eyes when he noticed that the door was closed. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Aw, shit," he complained having to cradle the device he was holding in the crook of his arm yet again so he could open the door._

_The client lay in his bed, seemingly asleep. Parker wanted to make sure, though. "Hey," he said in his normal voice._

_The guy did not stir._

_"He's asleep," Parker confirmed, setting down the equipment he was carrying. "Okay, rookie, let's get to it."_

* * *

Joey was the first to notice Mai once she entered the apartment. He looked up at her and grinned, saying, "Hey, babe! I hope you don't mind."

Mai's only answer was to smile, and she made her way to the kitchen, reminding herself that hers and Joey's relationship was still new, really, so she could keep her irritation at bay. It was too early for stress and drama, she thought, so Mai was willing to let this one go. There would be a time where they'd start setting boundaries, but she really didn't want to get into that at the moment.

This was how they both dealt with confrontation now; they just let things slide in order to maintain peace, since they didn't want to ruing things at the moment. Their new life together was something along the lines of happiness mingled with awkwardness, even if that went against what they both stood for.

Truth be told, that was how things had been ever since she'd found him in the Game Shop. The afternoon after Valon had ended things with her, she hopped in her car and drove for the Game Shop, hoping that Joey was there with the others, yet praying that he wasn't. Life was strange like that.

So she'd entered the shop quietly, electing to avoid a grand entrance. The shop was empty, save for Yugi leaning on the counter, going over homework problems with Joey. Mai exhaled and Yugi, having heard the door open and close, looked up, starting to recite the greeting he gave to all customers. He stopped when he noticed who it was standing at the door, and a look of shock replaced his chipper smile. Stumbling on his words, Yugi gestured for Joey to look over at his shoulder.

Joey looked over his shoulder lazily, unfazed by Yugi's change in demeanor. When he realized that she was really standing there, his eyes widened. He turned himself around, shouting, "Mai? Is—is that really you?"

A small grin appeared on Mai's face as she took a few steps forward. "Yeah, Joey," she murmured. "It's really me."

Joey let out a sound a jubilation, and he wasted no time running up to her and throwing his arms around her in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you, Mai!" he exclaimed, squeezing her and dancing from foot to foot happily.

And Mai had happily returned his hug. She'd closed her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulder, humming to herself contentedly, now that she was finally in the arms she'd imagined herself in all those months with Valon. Her smile faltered when she thought of Valon, and discomfort started to eclipse the relief she felt to be in Joey's arms.

Her eyes slid open and Yugi caught her eye as she tried to maintain a genuine smile. Yugi stood there, behind the counter, brow furrowed, with an uncertain smile. Her own brow furrowing, Mai looked at Yugi and smiled morosely at him while Joey continued to dance and tell her how he was so excited to see her.

Funny, Mai had thought as she held onto Joey. This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life thus far, but...

Mai screwed her eyes shut and held on tighter. But nothing! She was here with Joey, and that was all that mattered. It was all she wanted, all she needed.

Right?

* * *

_"Sooo," Kevin said as Parker waited for the computer to wake up. "We're erasing his ex-girlfriend, right?"_

_Parker nodded, pulling out a picture he had. Each job, he kept at least one object from a client in his pocket for reference, whatever was small enough to fit in his pocket. Photographs were ideal. He handed the picture to Kevin._

_Kevin whistled. "Wonder what he did to make her so mad."_

_Parker shook his head. "It's not like that," he replied, drumming his fingers on his knee as the computer brought up the desktop._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean, going by his interview, _he_ broke up with _her._"_

_"R-really?" Kevin asked, surprised._

_"Tch'yeah," Parker replied. "Relationships are more complicated than that, Kevin. People, regardless of sex or gender, are capable of messing up."_

_"I-I didn't...mean it like that," Kevin stammered, turning red._

_"Uh huh," Parker replied as he clicked open the correct program. "Sure. Okay, we should be golden in a few minutes."_

_"Do you—do you ever stop and think about what this all means?" Kevin asked curiously, fitting the device that allowed them a look into someone's head around the client's head, having a hard time with it because of the guy's gigantic hair. _

_"Yeah," Parker replied, tapping in the password. "We're wiping peoples' memories."_

_"N-no, I mean more than that," Kevin continued. "You ever think about how we erasing more than just memories—we're erasing people?"_

_"Not from the real world," Parker replied._

_"I know," Kevin replied, sitting back down on his chair. "I mean how we're erasing parts of peoples' lives."_

_"That is the point of this whole operation," Parker replied dryly. Poor kid was trying to act like he was coming across something novel, something profound._

_"I know that. Do you just ever stop and think about that?"_

_Parker sighed and clicked "Go." He turned and looked at Kevin. "Yeah. I do. Now be a good assistant and go make some coffee."_


	6. Chapter 5

_**It was the beginning of the end, Valon would realize later. That disinterested look was becoming too common on Mai's face, but of course Valon tried to ignore it. He tried to salvage things with her.**_

_**Like this particular morning. Mai, sans her makeup, bed head and all, sat cross-legged on his bed, staring down at the bed. Valon, with a towel wrapped around his neck, entered the room quietly and cleared his throat. **_

_**Mai looked up at him.**_

**_"Taking a shower," he told her. _**

**_A pause. _**

**_"Care to join me?"_**

**_"Sure," Mai replied, voice devoid of emotion._**

**_He turned and headed for the upstairs bathroom without checking to see if she was following. Valon opened the bathroom door and flicked on the light while he heard Mai's feet padding along the tiled floor behind him. Mai leaned against the bathroom counter while he got the shower going._**

**_When the stream of water was at the preferred temperature, Valon turned and looked at Mai. She wore a violet camisole and white cotton shorts that didn't make it past her thumbs. A few weeks ago he would have hauled her up onto the counter and kissed her. A few weeks ago they would have helped each other undress._**

**_And now?_**

**_Now..._**

**_Now it was a small miracle that they were even sharing a shower together. _**

**_He shed his shirt and dropped it to the floor while Mai dropped her shorts. His sweatpants were the next thing to go; they pooled at his feet while Mai removed her camisole. He stepped out of his boxers while Mai's panties joined the pile of clothes on the floor._**

**_Valon stepped into the stream of warm water and Mai followed. Facing the shower head, he dropped his head under the water, closing his eyes. Mai's arms wrapped around him and her head rested on his back. They both stood there in silence as the walls around them started dissolving into a black abyss._**

* * *

_"Aaand that is how you get the process started," Parker told Kevin, who stared at the computer screen. Parker picked up his satchel off the floor and pulled out a book. "And now we wait," he said dully, searching for the place where he'd left off._

_Kevin stared at him in disbelief. "Y-you're going to r-read?" he spluttered. _

_"Yup," Parker replied without looking up at his green assistant. "Pour me another cup, would you?"_

_"You're not supposed to do that!" Kevin insisted, fidgeting in his seat nervously. _

_Parker looked up at Kevin jadedly. He was tired, bored, and low on coffee. He really wasn't in the mood to be lectured by some doe eyed rookie who thought he knew more. "Really?" he said calmly. "Why, I had no idea! Thanks for telling me, Kevin!" He promptly returned his attention to his book._

_"But Dr. Curtis said we should pay attention to the monitor at all times."_

_"I know what he said, Kevin."_

_"So what if something goes wrong?"_

_"Then I will know."_

_"But how could you if you're not looking?"_

_"There will be a loud 'beep-beep.' Then and only then will I look up. Chances are, though, that that won't happen. It rarely ever happens where we have to interfere. Now do me a favor and pour me another cup of coffee. Please and thank you."_

* * *

**_Valon was eating breakfast at the kitchen table with Mai while a fresh pot of coffee brewed. The room was devoid of sounds except for silverware occasionally scraping plates and the coffee maker humming and chattering to itself._**

**_"Here," said a sullen voice, making Valon startle in his seat and look up. He swore he could hear a voice coming from over his head. "Here's your coffee."_**

**_Valon looked at his girlfriend. "Hey. Hey, Mai."_**

**_She set her glass of orange juice down after taking a sip. "What, Valon?"_**

**_Valon slowly pushed himself up out of his seat, looking around for the source of the voice. "Did you hear that?"_**

**_"Hear what?" Mai asked him while Valon started circling the kitchen, straining to hear the mysterious voice again._**

**_"Someone's in here," Valon insisted._**

**_Mai sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Valon, no one's here but the two of us."_**

**_Valon looked back at Mai and started when he saw the kitchen table starting to dissolve. "Mai?" Valon asked uncertainly, looking around nervously as the room started to fade away like thin paper being burned by a match. He reached his hand out to touch the refrigerator, which was dematerializing right before him. He looked back at Mai to see her looking up at him, unconcerned as she herself started to dissolve. Valon cursed and ran over to Mai, trying to reach her before everything blacked out._**

**_He didn't make it._**

* * *

**_"Here're your keys back," Valon said morosely, holding out the two house keys with a key chain Mai had given him what seemed like so long ago. _**

**_She snatched the keys out of his hands without looking at him while she continued to throw her things into her large bag. She stopped for a moment and looked at him._**

**_Valon wiped his eyes and turned his head away._**

**_"Valon?" Mai said hoarsely. _**

**_Valon squeezed his eyes shut as a shuddering breath traveled through him. A small, strangled sound managed to escape, and he hated himself for it._**

**_"Valon?"_**

**_He didn't answer her, didn't even look at her._**

**_"Valon? Valon, come on. Valon, look... Valon, look at me. Look at me. Please?"_**

**_Valon grit his teeth together. _**

**_"Valon, I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."_**

**_Valon exhaled and sniffed. "Just take your things and leave."_**

**_Mai packed up like her life depended on it after that. When Valon finally opened his eyes after she left, he let out a frustrated yell as the room started to turn dark. "I'm glad this is happening!" he yelled at the ceiling that was dissolving more and more by the second. "I'm glad I'm erasing you!"_**


	7. Chapter 6

The thing about having a boyfriend in high school was that there was homework to deal with. Oftentimes when Mai came home Joey had his schoolwork spread out all over her coffee table because she'd made the kitchen table off limits. Little of the table top could be seen when Joey had his junk strewn about while he was scratching his head over an English packet. Mai made sure work got done, much to Joey's dismay and slight confusion.

"Why does it matter so much to you, Mai?" he'd asked her once, crossing his arms and slumping in his seat when she'd denied him a makeout session until he got all his current homework out of the way.

Mai had rolled her eyes so hard, it was a wonder they hadn't fallen out. "So you can at the very least graduate high school."

"Babe," Joey said imploringly, holding his arms open, inviting her to come over and sit in his lap. "C'mon."

Mai simply smiled at him and kissed his forehead, promising him he'd get what he wanted after he finished his homework.

And ever since then Joey had diligently completed his work so Mai couldn't bother him about it. Which was just as well, Mai mused, opening her refrigerator door and pulling out a pitcher of lemonade Joey had made yesterday. Joey looked up from his homework and grinned as she poured herself a glass, obviously pleased that she was finally giving his lemonade a try.

Mai gave Joey a smile and lifted the glass up, inspecting the yellowish liquid. Everything seemed normal. Mai ventured a taste, and her lips immediately puckered.

"Like it, Mai?" Joey asked, eyes cast back down onto his homework.

At that moment Mai decided that all of the sidestepping would have to come to an end, now that Joey was living with her. She'd convinced him to move in with her not long after they'd gotten together because of his deplorable home life. It didn't take much to get him agree since they both knew his dad would not notice Joey's absence or simply not care if he did.

They saw so much of each other because they lived under the same roof and shared a bed, and maybe that was why things were so awkward right now. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if maybe things would be different if they didn't live together. Mai knew that there would be a lot less tiptoeing around if that were the case, as the situation had not been ideal after Mai had returned. There was still a hint of uneasiness around them, like perfume that had been sprayed some time ago still lingering in the air, and seeing so much of each other only exacerbated the problem.

But still, Mai reminded herself, everything must come to an end, and they should not have to keep up this stupid charade.

"Could use a little more sugar, doll," Mai replied, placing the pitcher and the glass back in the fridge.

Joey nodded and looked back down at his homework, frowning at the halfway completed piece of paper. "Hey, Mai? Can you help me out?"

"Homework?"

"Yeah. Short story."

Mai sat down on the floor next to Joey and waited as he pulled out his cumbersome text book. He dropped it onto the glass tabletop, causing the coffee table to shake and squeal under its new burden. Mai arched an eyebrow and took note of the unnecessary volume as her boyfriend flipped the book open.

"That thing must weigh more than a newborn child," she muttered dryly while Joey flipped through the pages until he found the story.

Mai tried to help Joey when he pointed out the first question that was giving him difficulty, so she tried reading through the short story. But as time wore on, while Joey occasionally leaned over to scan the passages with her, Mai's apprehension grew and her mind started to wander. As time went on, Mai's train of thought kept returning to two images, both very different but equally unsettling: first she thought of one of those stupid fifteen year old fantasies of a bouncy, inappropriately dressed teacher sitting on her student's desk while helping him with his homework, ample breasts near enough to send the kid into a cold sweat; then she thought of a graying housewife bringing her twelve year old son a plate of warm cookies for them to snack on while she helped him with his pre-algebra homework.

Mai blanched. She slowly got to her feet. "You know, Joey?" she asked, trying to maintain her composure. "There's nothing wrong with taking a break once in a while. Especially when you have to work with that. It'd give anyone a headache. I sure have one now."

With her excuse out of the way, Mai escaped to her bathroom and settled in for a long bath.

* * *

_"Okay," Parker said, gently closing his book and setting it down on the table. "Time to check the monitor."_

_"Really?" Kevin asked, surprised at Parker's apparent change in attitude. "Now you're doing your job?"_

_Parker slowly turned to look at his co-worker. He blinked. "Getting bold now, huh?" _Saucy little shit. _Parker thought bitterly, but kept it to himself. _

_"I thought you said we didn't have to pay attention."_

_"Generally, we don't," Parker replied, checking their client's brain activity levels, noticing that some attention was required. "But it doesn't hurt to check. That's just common sense. And since you're so eager to do something, I'm giving you a chance to show me what you know, Kev."_

_Under Parker's instruction, Kevin turned knobs and dials on the control panel which, unbeknownst to Parker and Kevin, caused Valon's eyelids to slide open a few millimeters._

* * *

**_"Mai."_**

**_"Hmm?"_**

**_"Are you happy?"_**

**_Mai finally looked at Valon, a first in several hours. There they were on his couch, pretending to watch some movie on TV, an event that would at most take an hour and a half, but now stretched over three hours thanks to commercials. Three hours of silence between the two. It was all right, though. Silence was a lot more manageable when there was a distraction. _**

**_Mai had a velvet blanket wrapped around her shoulders and her legs were across his lap, which was as close as to any kind of intimacy they'd had in a while. Her face was as blank as a fresh sheet of paper, and the nature of his question did nothing to change that._**Happy?** _Valon asked himself. That was not the face of a person content with her life._**

**_"Why do you ask?"_**

**_Valon shrugged. "Just wondering," he murmured, looking back at the TV screen, understanding that Mai's lack of an answer was her answer. She wasn't happy. _**Fuck. _**Valon thought to himself.** _Am I happy?

**_The room started to crumble and dissolve, but both Valon and Mai stayed seated._**

**_"Why did you stay with me?" Valon, of his own free will, whispered. _**

**_"What do you mean?" Mai—although it wasn't really her, just a part of his imagination, he supposed—asked. _**

**_"I mean," Valon replied, looking at her, "why did you waste all this time with me when all you wanted was Wheeler?"_**

**_Mai swallowed. "Listen, Valon," she said murmured, removing her legs from his lap so she could sit up. "I really did care for you."_**

**_"Cared for me," Valon repeated, watching his living room succumb to the darkness. He looked at Mai, who stared at him ruefully. "Right. But it wasn't enough."_**


	8. Chapter 7

_Just one shot left of this drink in this glass  
Don't make me break it  
I wish that you were me  
So you could feel this feeling  
I never broke one promise,  
And I know when you're not honest  
Now you got me yelling.  
That's because I'm jealous_

_**When she wasn't staring off into space, Mai was out. Out doing what, exactly? Out with her girlfriends, out drinking, out volunteering at a soup kitchen? **_

_**Out avoiding him?**_

_**She didn't say, nor did he ask****—which was probably why Valon was left feeling like shit. So there he was, sitting on the beach, working on his**__**—second, third?**__**—whatever number bottle of beer. He didn't drink by himself. Just like almost everything else he did, Valon was a social drinker; his mum and dad drank alone, and he tried to avoid being even remotely like them. Most of his memories of his parents were of his mum sitting at the kitchen table at 9:30 at night, taking half an hour to finish a single glass of wine while she kept her head down and tried not to break out sobbing; as for his dad, well...his dad was a mean drunk who used alcohol as his anesthetic for life and was to be avoided at all costs. **_

_****__****__**And yet there he was, drinking alone at night because his girlfriend was out God knows where and was probably just avoiding him.**_

_****__****__**Valon closed his eyes and muttered an exhausted, defeated "Fuck," under his breath.**_

_****__****__**What was he doing?**_

_****__****__**Valon looked down at the bottle in his hand, frowned, and realized he couldn't stomach another drop. Disgusted with himself, he threw the bottle off to the side and flopped onto his back, promising himself that he'd pick up his trash later. Right now, looking up the minute sprinkling of stars in the sky, Valon just didn't want to do anything.**_

_****__****__**"So this is love," he muttered to himself. "Whoop dee fucking do."**_

_****__****__**So this was love, huh? Love was paranoia and insecurity, right? Love was trying your hardest to make the one you love smile and failing miserably. Love was sex that looked good on paper but was akin to warming up a bowl of soup and receiving a hot bowl that secretly held a lukewarm liquid. Love was reaching out and receiving nothing. **_

_****__****__**Love was pain.**_

_****__****__**Love was feeling small and inadequate.**_

_****__****__**Love was "Mate, get the fuck out now before things get even worse."**_

_****__****__**Love was...**_

_****__****__**Love was lying on a beach late at night, feeling sorry for yourself.**_

_****__****__**Love was loneliness. **_

_****__****__**Valon sighed and sat up.**_

_****__****__**The ocean started evaporating.**_

_****__****__**The stars disappeared one by one.**_

_****__****__**He got to his feet and started brushing the sand off.**_

_****__****__**The green beer bottle rolled away until it sank into the ground.**_

_****__****__**Valon chuckled without humor. **_

_****__****__**Furniture sprouted out of the sand.**_

_****__****__**He shook his head. **_

_****__****__**"You can't keep on like this," he told himself as the beach around his disappeared and turned into a night club.**_

* * *

Mai exhaled and slid herself down the sleek curve of her bathtub into the bubbly, fragrant water. Mai resolved that for however long she would soak in the tub, her world would consist of warm water and bubbles that smelled like rose petals. She knew that she needed this because of the last few days. She was not going to think of her microscopic relationship crisis she'd just experienced with Joey, she was not going to think about loud teenagers in her apartment early in the morning, and she was not going to think about Valon pretending not to recognize her.

Mai's eyelids, which had been steadily closing as she grew relaxed, shot open.

_Shit._

Why did she have to think about Valon? She already had enough going on in her personal life without her mind dwelling on the fact that someone she'd spent months of her life with would prefer to act like he didn't know her rather than actually talk to her. It still didn't make sense to her; Valon wasn't exactly someone who spent his time in denial.

Mai sighed and sluggishly closed her eyes, exhaling mournfully as she sank farther into the water.

_Girl, did you ever screw that one up. _Mai thought as she wiggled her toes underwater, frowning.

If she were to be honest with herself, she sometimes forgot that she was coming home to Joey instead of Valon, but she figured that happened when you go from living with someone one day to spending time with someone else practically the next. At least that was what she wanted to believe.

Whatever the case may be, Mai knew she couldn't slip up and say the wrong name; she didn't want a repeat happening.

* * *

_**Valon now was in the night club he'd decided to visit after he'd cleaned himself off and gotten a change of clothes. He hadn't gone dancing in a while, so it was a change of scenery for him. **_

_**He received a few inviting smiles from strangers beckoning him to dance, but Valon smiled nervously and shook his head, aiming to head for the bar. He hopped into the one free seat and scanned the prices for drinks, and he felt compelled to let out a whistle of disbelief. A woman sitting on his right looked at him at him from the corner of her eye and smirked at his bewilderment. **_

_**"Hey, stranger," she greeted airily, turning around in her seat to look at him in the eye. "Can I buy you a drink?"**_

_**Valon laughed. "With these prices? I couldn't let you with a good conscience."**_

_**The woman shook her head, causing her deep purple curls to bounce. "I insist," she replied, signaling the bartender. "Two shots of tequila."**_

_**Valon grinned at her in surprise. "What's your name?" he asked her while she handed him his shot glass. **_

_**"Talia," she replied, holding her glass up, indicating that she wanted to clink glasses. "Yours?"**_

_**"Valon," he replied, holding his glass up close to hers. "What're we toasting to?"**_

_**Talia pursed her red lips in thought, her green eyes looking off to the side. She looked back at him and smiled. "To good fun, wealth, fortune..." She paused, smiled suggestively, and added, "And good orgasms."**_

_**Valon barked out a laugh and tapped his glass to hers. "All right," he said enthusiastically, then upended his shot glass. "All right."**_

_**Talia paid for the drinks and pulled him onto tbe dance floor.**_

_**"So what brings you here tonight?" she asked as they adjusted to the beat of the music blaring over the speaker system.**_

_**It was loud, crowded, Valon was already sweating because of all the bodies in the room, and he had to really pay attention to catch what Tallia was saying, but this was the most fun he'd had in a while. "Needed to get out of the house," he replied, leaning in closer so Talia could hear him.**_

_**Time melted away as Valon danced with Talia. Song after song played until Talia swore she was going to drop from exhaustion. So she took him by the hands, dragged him off to one of the plush couches, and let herself fall back onto one of the cushions. Talia smiled up at Valon, holding her hands up and making a grabbing motion until he sat down next to her.**_

_**"What time is it?" Valon asked Talia.**_

_**"Late," she replied. "What, is it past your bedtime?"**_

_**"Maybe," Valon chirped. "My ride's gonna turn into a pumpkin if I don't leave soon."**_

_**"Oh, no," Talia drawled. She gazed at him with half-lidded eyes and she leaned in closer. **_

_**"Hey," she whispered, or did the best she could so he could still hear her thanks to the loud music. "You wanna go back to my place?"**_

_**Valon's smile dropped. He found himself wishing that he could say yes, but he thought about Mai. True, things weren't going well, but he couldn't do that to her. "I-I'm sorry. I have a girlfriend."**_

_**Talia took his response well. She simply nodded. "I guess that means you two're exclusive, right?"**_

_**The dancers, the bar, the strobing lights started to melt away. **_

_**Valon looked at Talia with regret in his eyes. **_

_**"Yeah. I guess so."**_

* * *

_**Mai legs were wrapped around Valon's waist while he bent over her, his hand in her panties. She held onto his shoulders while he kept one arm around her while he focused his attention on her clitoris. Mai moaned and writhed beneath him as he increased his speed and placed kisses into the curve of her neck. With his face buried in Mai's neck and with pleasuring her as his main objective, Valon didn't have time to think about how close he'd been to taking Talia up on her offer.**_

_**His guilt made him work even harder than usual.**_

_**What kind of person would he be if he'd done that, anyway? **_

_**Valon closed his eyes and pressed his face into Mai's shoulder. **_

_**Certainly not the kind he wanted to be.**_

_**How could he possibly do that to Mai? How could he betray her like**__**—**_

_**"Mmmm, Joey..."**_

_**Valon and Mai froze. He released his hold of her and looked down into her eyes. "Come again?" **_

_**Mai's face was red. "Valon, I**__**—"**_

_****__**Valon shook his head. "That's why you've been so quiet," he muttered, taking a few steps back.**_

_****__**Mai got to her feet, readjusting her skirt and underwear. **_

_****__**Valon shook his head again and found that he could not look at her. "All this time," he whispered. "All this time you've wanted him, haven't you?"**_

_****__**"Valon**__**—baby, please," Mai said helplessly. "It's not like that."**_

_****__****__**Valon's eyes started to sting. "Don't**__**—don't call me that," he mumbled, staring at the floor. "Don't call me that."**_

_****__****__****__**He turned around and made his way to the door, squeezing his eyes shut. "Don't ever call me that again."**_


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Yo, I would really appreciate it if you checked out my poll regarding this story. Please and thank you!**

**Oh, and thanks so much for the reviews and the support. It really means a lot to me.**

* * *

Valon never expected to receive a text message from Raphael after DOMA disbanded and its members scattered. He knew that Raphael didn't mind him, and he knew that Raphael certainly liked him better than Alister did, but Valon never really expected to see the big guy again, nor did he ever expect to receive a text message from him saying that he was in town and wanted to meet up.

Naturally, Valon insisted that Raphael come over and stay at his place for however long he was going to be around, and after much coaxing, Raphael agreed.

So in a few short hours, Valon was helping Raphael lug his luggage out of the taxi he'd taken to Valon's house.

"Nice to see you," Valon said amiably, grinning at his former co-worker while Raphael paid the taxi driver. "You look well."

"Thank you, Valon," Raphael replied agreeably as they made their way to Valon's beach house. "I've been well."

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Valon asked, realizing that he was just stalling since this was probably the first exchange of double sided small talk they'd actually ever had, and he remained a little unsure of where to take it from here. He couldn't exactly ask, "Hey, how's the family?" and he doubted that Raphael owned any pets to speak of. Most people didn't jet off all over the place if they had living things that needed tending to unless they had a nice neighbor, and somehow Valon doubted that was the case.

So what else was there to talk about?

Raphael let out a pleasant, relaxed chuckle. "Indeed it has," he said, responding to Valon's question. "How have you been, Valon?"

"Me? Great."

"Have you seen Mai since we all went our separate ways?"

Valon halted. He looked at Raphael in bewilderment. Mai. Why did he feel like he should know that name? "Who?"

Raphael blinked. He then nodded, seeming to understand whatever it was that Valon didn't. He certainly seemed to know more. "Oh, it's like that."

Valon knit his eyebrows. "Like what?" he asked, utterly confused.

Raphael frowned and stared at Valon, looking at him like one would at an optical illusion. "Clearly you two must not be on speaking terms?"

Valon looked at Raphael helplessly.

"Come on, Valon. You mean to tell me that you don't know who Mai Valentine is? The woman you risked your life for? The woman you were hopelessly infatuated with?"

Valon let out a chuckle to cover up his discomfort. He was pretty sure he'd remember putting his neck on the line for someone within the last year, and he was also pretty sure that he'd remember being "infatuated" with someone. Valon didn't forget people easily, especially not people who were apparently _that_ important to him. What was Raphael going on about? "S-sorry, Raph," he said airily, or at least he tried to. "I'm drawing a blank, here."

Raphael snorted in disbelief, but left the matter alone after that.

* * *

_Kevin's misguided attempts to maintain an air of professionalism fell through after about two hours, and of course it gave Parker immense satisfaction to see the newbie staring up at the ceiling, eyes about as lively as a corpse. Parker smirked at his so-called assistant and spun his chair around, laughing quietly. "What'd I tell you?" he asked, internally amused but too tired to attempt to sound like it.  
_

_"We could watch a movie, couldn't we?" Kevin asked, without removing his gaze from the ceiling. "We could watch a movie on his TV or take a shower in his bathroom and we'd be okay, wouldn't we?"_

_"Now you're getting it," Parker replied, pushing his book to a far corner of the table on which they were "working." He was already bored with it, and wished he'd brought something better._

_Kevin let out a sigh. He beat an idle rhythm onto the table top with his knuckles. "So," he said slowly. "You got a girlfriend?"  
_

_Parker smirked. "Whoa, uh, that's quite an assumption on your part," he replied, spreading his arms out across the table and resting his chin on the tabletop._

_"Oh, I'm sorry," Kevin answered, sounding genuinely apologetic. "You're gay?"_

_"No," Parker replied, closing his eyes. "But you can never be sure, can you? Best not to assume."_

_Kevin let out an angry sound. "You ass," he muttered. Three minutes of silence elapsed, but it felt like hours to both bored Lacuna employees. "How much time do we have left?"  
_

_Parker shrugged. "It is way too early for you to be asking that."_

_Kevin sighed and slumped in his seat._

* * *

_**As soon as the door closed, Valon ran, veering off course from the memory, trying to outrun it since it was taking forever to break down.**  
_

_**"Come on!" Valon shouted to the sky. "Come on! Get rid of it already! I don't want to remember this!"**_

_**Gradually his surroundings started to fade and dissolve. Valon came to a rest at a streetlamp that currently remained unaffected by the erasing process, resting his head against the firm surface. **_

_**"Fuck," he whispered, staring up at one of the windows in Mai's apartment.**_

_**The next thing he knew, he was sitting across Dr. Curtis in the off white office. **_

_**"So I forget and won't be able to remember later on?" Valon asked inquisitively. "Guaranteed?"**_

_**"There is a ninety-eight percent success rate, yes," Dr. Curtis replied briskly. "So, yes, you could say that it's guarnteed."  
**_

_**Valon nodded. Ninety-eight percent wasn't bad. What were the odds he'd be a part of the two percent? "And then everything's erased?"**_

_**"Ah," Dr. Curtis hesitated. "We are not yet at the point of complete erasure. What we do, as things stand at the moment, is block the memories off."**_

_**"Does that mean I could somehow remember?" Valon asked.**_

_**"There is a very small chance, yes," Dr. Curtis replied. "But that would require a powerful trigger, one powerful enough to unlock said stored memories. But that is very, very unlikely, and we've only had a few cases over the years. Like I said, Valon: there is a ninety-eight percent success rate. Odds are you'll be that ninety-eight percent."**_

_**"So I'm golden?"**_

_**"Yes, you could say that. Unless you happen to be the exception, which we can either reimburse you or try again if you so wish, you are, ah, 'golden.'" Dr. Curtis smiled at Valon from across the table that was starting to dissolve. "You, my friend, are golden."  
**_

* * *

_**"Valon?"**_

_**Valon was curled up around his pillow when Mai woke him up. He felt tears running down his face. "Yeah, Mai?" he asked hoarsely, sniffing and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.**_

_**"I think you were having a bad dream," Mai whispered and leaned over to turn the lamp on. The sudden change in light made them both wince and then squint at each other as their eyes adjusted, and Mai blinked a few times, taking time to register what it was she was seeing. Her eyes softened and her lips pulled down in a sympathetic frown. "Valon, you've been crying."**_

_**Valon let out a small chuckle and blinked, feeling the moisture upon his eyelashes. "N-no, I haven't," he said lightly, just so she would stop worrying about him.**_

_**"Oh, baby, come here," Mai said, scooting closer to him and wrapping an arm around him.  
**_

_**Valon squeezed his eyes shut and let his head fall back down onto the pillow. **_

_**"Valon, what happened?"**_

_**"Th-that night," Valon mumbled. "The church. Those thugs. The fire."  
**_

_**Mai knew, so she didn't ask. **_

_**Valon turned around so his back faced her. "Sorry if I woke you, Mai. Just go back to bed. I'll be fine."**_

_**Instead of leaving it at that, Mai moved even closer so that she was spooning him. Valon breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. Here, wrapped in Mai's arms, he felt safe, secure. "Do I," he started, curiously, "do I do this often?"  
**_

_**"Once in a while, yes," Mai replied softly and nuzzled his shoulder. "At least that I can tell."**_

_**"I'm sorry," Valon muttered. "I must make for a bad bed mate, hm?"**_

_**Mai kissed his bare back. "It's nothing, Val," she replied gently. "We all have our scars. It's okay. Don't worry about it. Just know that I'm here, okay, doll?"**_

_**Valon exhaled. Mai started to feel less tangible upon his flesh, and it made him turn around in alarm. Mai, looking blankly at him, faded into the bed. Valon got on his knees. "Please, Curtis," he begged, groping around in the sheets for Mai, hoping that maybe it was just an illusion and that she was still around for him to touch and feel. "Please don't get rid of this one. If I could keep just one..."  
**_

_**His plea was not heard. **_


	10. Chapter 9

"Hey, babe?" Joey called Mai from the living room.

"Yeah?" Mai, in the middle of making a salad for herself, replied.

"The gang's coming over tomorrow," he replied nonchalantly, which put Mai on alert. What was he doing, acting like it was okay to drop this info on her without asking her if it was okay? "I'm gonna need you to go buy some snacks and drinks."

Mai, who had been grating cheese, dropped both cheese and grater. "Oh, hell, no," she replied, firmly.

Joey looked up at her from his homework. "'Scuse me?" he asked her, heatedly.

"You didn't think to ask me, Joey?" Mai asked, glaring at him.

"Ah," Joey replied, impudently, "I thought it wouldn't be a big deal."

"You should have asked me!" Mai shrieked.

"You never had a problem with it before! And seeing how we're living together and stuff, I thought I had the okay to have people over without your permission."

Mai placed a hand on her hip and exhaled, trying to regain control of herself. She looked at him and said firmly, "You may sleep in _my_ bed, eat _my_ food, use _my_ electricity, but don't think for a second that you can do whatever the hell you want."

"The hell, Mai?" Joey exclaimed, getting to his feet. "You were practically _begging_ me to move in with you, and now you're going on about _your_ stuff?"

"Because I'm the one paying the bills," Mai replied, tersely. "And, hey, I'm happy to do so since you're a student."

"Happy?" Joey bellowed. "Happy? If you were so happy, Mai, you wouldn't be ranting about what an inconvenience I am!"

Since he had no personal room to go to, he picked up his jacket and keys and stormed out the door, leaving Mai alone.

She sighed, leaning back against her kitchen counter, reminding herself that she wanted to be with Joey, that she was happy to support him. This was what she wanted.

Mai couldn't help but to worry, though. Not even a month together and already she was starting to feel miserable.

It had taken a while for things to fall apart with Valon...

Mai frowned and shook her head. She wasn't going to think about that. She wasn't going to compare relationships. She wasn't going to compare guys.

It wasn't right.

It especially wasn't right that Mai found herself half-wishing that Joey wouldn't come back.

* * *

Raphael enjoyed walks. They allowed him to center his thoughts, take note of the scenery, and they also had the added benefit of exercise. He found that he preferred to go on a nice, leisurely walk than to run, as it was more peaceful. That wasn't to say that he didn't try running with Valon. When he'd woken up and found Valon stretching in the living room in preparation for his morning run, he'd asked if he could join.

"Only if you think you can keep up," Valon chirped, looking up at Raphael and grinning at him as touched his left foot with both hands.

Evidently Raphael's steady jog wasn't fast enough for Valon's liking, so of course his host literally ran circles around him. "C'mon now, Raph!" he taunted, nimbly dancing around him. "I know you can keep up."

Raphael grunted, but did not change his pace. "You're obnoxious," was all he said calmly, without a trace of anger.

Valon laughed and started to run backwards in front of him. "This is what happens when you don't mix cardio with your weights," he proclaimed, somehow able to run backwards yet still avoid passersby. It was quite a sight to see, really, and it brought a small, amused smile to Raphael's face.

"Go on without me," Raphael insisted. "Since I'm too slow for you."

"Y'sure, Raph?"

"Absolutely."

Valon grinned and said, "All right, then. I'll meet you back at the house."

So Valon turned around and ran off, leaving Raphael alone to slow down to a comfortable walk. He noticed that he was coming upon a convenience store and realized that he was quite parched, so he decided to take a quick detour. He quietly entered a convenience store with nothing but a hanging bell to announce his presence. He nodded at the cashier, a bored-looking middle aged woman, and made his way to the refrigerated section of the store, where he came upon what seemed to be a familiar head of hair.

Sure enough, it was Mai. After grabbing a can of green tea, she turned around with disinterested eyes, but she perked up when she recognized him. "Raphael?"

Raphael smiled pleasantly at her. "Good morning, Mai."

Mai blinked a few times, obviously not over her shock. "Raphael!" she said, breathlessly. "I certainly didn't expect to see you here."

"The feeling is mutual," he replied.

"What are you doing here in Domino? Are you visiting?"

Raphael nodded. "Just visiting," he confirmed. "I'm staying with Valon, actually."

Mai's smile, which had just started up, flatlined. "Oh," she said, simply, with the kind of expression on her face that reminded Raphael of an animal whose ears were drooping slightly and tail was hanging limply. "Valon. You're staying with him, huh?"

Raphael nodded, pretending not to notice her distress since he had a feeling that Mai wouldn't want him pointing it out. "I do have to note, though," he continued, "that he's been acting a little strange."

"Strange?" Mai asked, nervously. It was so odd. Mai had always put on a mask of cold aloofness, and had never allowed herself to be seen in such an anxious manner during the time they had worked together. Very odd. "How do you mean?"

Raphael realized he'd spoken too much, since there was no tactful, painless way for him to say that Valon was behaving like he'd forgotten all about Mai. No one wanted to hear about that. However, Mai's tone of voice seemed to imply that she had personal experience with what Raphael was talking about. He wondered. "He's just been a little...off," Raphael said, evasively, replying to Mai's question.

"Did he...?" Mai asked, trailing off, and looking down at her can of green tea. She played with the tab. "Did he act like he doesn't know me?"

"I would be lying if I said no," Raphael said, calmly. "I must admit, Mai, I'm puzzled by his behavior."

Mai sighed. "You're not alone, Raphael."

* * *

_**"Okay, hold still," Mai said, holding Valon by the chin and bringing the tube of her signature lipstick up to his face. Soon as she started to smooth the creamy substance onto his lips, Valon involuntarily jerked back and laughed.**_

_**"That feels weird," he chuckled.**_

_**Mai smirked at him. "I said: hold still," she commanded warmly.**_

_**Valon let her continue without a fight, staying still and smiling or opening his mouth when Mai told him to. "Lemme see," he insisted when she was done. **_

_**Mai rolled her eyes at him. "Really? We've only just begun."**_

_**"Aw, come on, Mai," Valon insisted.**_

_**Mai relented and pulled out a small compact mirror out of her makeup bag. "Okay," she said, pulling it open and then holding it up for him to see. She studied him for a few moments. "Hm. I don't think that's your color."**_

_**Valon grinned. "Y'sure?"**_

_**Mai nodded. "I think you could do better with something darker," she opined. She sighed pleasantly and said, "Never mind. Do you wanna keep going?"  
**_

_**"Sure, why not?" Valon replied. "This is fun."**_

_**"Much more fun for me, I can guarantee you," Mai replied, taking out a thin tube of what she called lip liner. "Bear with me, okay? I never had any girl friends to do this with. I'm not used to putting makeup on anybody but myself."**_

_**"S'okay," Valon replied easily.**_

_**Mai leaned over to her makeup bag and pulled out a tube of mascara. "I trust that you don't have an eye infection?" she joked, holding the tube up. "I really shouldn't do this, but I'm not paying for new mascara so that you can use it just once."  
**_

_**Mai started to twist the top of the mascara off, but the erasing started to take hold. Valon was alert. "No," he whispered, getting to his knees and grabbing Mai by the hands. "Mai, I messed up."**_

_**"What do you mean, Valon?" Mai asked, innocently. "You've done nothing wrong."**_

_**Valon shook his head and pulled Mai up to her feet. "No, not the makeup, Mai." He looked at the doorway in Mai's bedroom, which was deteriorating quickly. He held onto her hand and ran for the door, hoping to make it in time. "I... I made a mistake. I paid some people to help me forget about you, and now I want them to stop."  
**_

_**When Mai didn't reply, Valon stopped and looked back and found that Mai was no longer behind him, and that he was no longer in Mai's bedroom. He was at the local park with a bag of stale bread in his hands. Mai was several yards ahead of him, standing near the pond where the ducks swam.  
**_

_**"I remember this day," he whispered. "It was cold, and you gave me your scarf to wear." He looked down and sure enough, Mai's black woolen scarf was wound snugly around his neck. **_

_**He fingered the soft material while Mai turned around and looked at him. She looked cute with that black wool cap on her head. "Babe!" she called, beckoning him to join her. "You coming?"  
**_

_**"We gotta go, Mai," Valon said, urgently, running over to her. "We gotta go now."**_

_**"But we just got here," Mai protested. **_

_**Valon took her by the hand and started dragging her away. "Come on, Mai."**_

_**"Valon!" Mai exclaimed, struggling against his grip. "What has gotten into you?"**_

_**"They're erasing you, Mai, and I have to find a way to stop them!" Valon cried. "I don't want to forget about you."**_

_**Mai blinked. "Valon, I don't understand."**_

_**Of course she didn't. "Never mind that," Valon insisted. "Let's just go."**_

_**"What can we do?"**_

_**Valon tugged on her hand and said the only thing that mattered, "Run."**_


End file.
